Relinquishing Your Pet

Some of the most common reasons foreigners in Korea have for giving up a pet include not having enough time, complaining landlords or neighbours, the cost of travelling home... Many of these issues can be solved! Before deciding to give up your pet, please consider some of the following solutions:

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Time Issues

If your work schedule changes temporarily, considering finding a daytime pet-sitter, dog-walker, or pet day care facility to make life more manageable for your companion.

Landlord Issues

Offer an extra deposit if your landlord is afraid of damage, or find a realtor to help you move to a pet-friendly apartment.

Flight Costs

The typical cost of flying a pet to Canada or the US is twice the excess baggage fee, around W300,000. By saving just W25,000 / month for a year, you have the cost of your pet's air ticket. Why not ask your friends and family to give you money instead of gifts for birthdays and special occasions to help you save up?

Travel Issues

Consider getting an extension to your visa for a few weeks in order to avoid seasonal embargo periods where airlines refuse to fly pets.

Where to Find Help

For behaviour issues:

• ASPCA Virtual Pet Behaviourist
  This database of articles will help you find solutions to cat and dog behaviour problems.
• Pet Education
  Find articles on behaviour, training, and health issues to help you trouble shoot problems in cats, dogs, and smaller pets.
• Dogster's Good Dog Blog and Catster's Answers
  These two websites have extensive information about behaviour issues and solutions, as well as active community forums where you can get advice from experienced guardians.
• ARK forum discussion threads tagged "dog trainer"
  Archived discussions contain information about dog trainers in Korea.

For travel or work schedule issues:

• Pet Sitting Network - South Korea
  This active Facebook group can help you find a pet sitter while you travel.
• ARK's Facebook group is another active community where you can get advice on many issues, including recommendations on where to board a pet, doggy daycare, etc.
• ARK Pet Travel Links
  The travel section of the links directory collects government and airline websites where you can find authoritative information on how to bring your pet to another country.
• ARK Pet Travel Forum
  Although this discussion forum is now closed, archived topics still offer pertinent advice on how to avoid seasonal embargoes, how to ship a pet to another country, or comply with quarantine regulations.

For landlord and housing issues:

• ARK forum discussions tagged "apartments", the discussion of "Big Dogs in Korea", and other threads in the General Questions Forum contain archived discussions on the topic of dealing with landlords and neighbours who complain about pets, including tips on finding a realtor.
• The Korean Animal Protection Society has an active network on Facebook where you can seek advice. Visit facebook.com/KAPSAnimals

For Serious, Unforeseeable Issues

When your circumstances are more serious than the common issues mentioned above, or when you can't find a solution that works, please consider these tips:

Advanced Planning

Post an adoption listing as far in advance as you can. It can take weeks or months to find a new home for an animal. Waiting until the last minute often leads to rushed decisions or passing a pet to the first person who shows interest. This in turn often begins a cycle of "pass the pet". Animals who move from home to home to home can become stressed and traumatized.

Screening

Screen potential adopters, use an adoption application, and request an adoption fee. These steps help ensure the next adopter is a committed, responsible person whose lifestyle matches the needs and personality of your pet.

Animal Shelters

Avoid relinquishing your pet to an animal shelter. Though well-meaning, most animal shelters in Korea are overcrowded and struggle to find funding for basic needs such as food and vet care. Moving an animal from a home into a noisy, crowded shelter is traumatic. Many animals fall ill just from stress.

"Euthanasia" Policies

If you have no other option but to relinquish your pet to a shelter, make sure they have a no-kill policy and will not only hold your pet for a limited amount of time before killing him or her. Shelters can legally kill a homeless animal after only 10 days. Ask what percentage of animals at the shelter find new homes and what the shelter will do to find one.

Temporary Help

If you find a no-kill shelter, rescue group, or foster parent who agrees to take care of your pet until a permanent home can be found, provide them with all vaccination and health certificates as well as a deposit to cover food and other expenses for the weeks or months it will take to find a new home.